Amsterdam Masters Preview

Hey half-court hoop fans,

Welcome to the latest edition of The Drive, your inside pass to the world of 3×3, where we bring you behind-the-scenes access, game updates, and all the latest news straight from the court. Let’s dive right into the action!

Split Challenger recap

The Huffman-Caruso-McClure-Nash quartet returned to the hardwood for Princeton at the Split Challenger. They previously lit up the Pont du Gard Challenger and secured a 3rd-place finish. This time around, they faced stiff competition, landing in the 6th spot. The comeback in the opener fell short against the world's #1 team, Ub, ending in an 18-21 defeat, but the Princeton crew bounced back with an exhilarating overtime victory against the formidable NY Harlem squad. Henry Caruso's buzzer-beating tip-in to force OT was pure 3x3 magic. When Princeton and Harlem clash, it's always a show.

In the quarterfinal matchup against Partizan, Princeton encountered early foul trouble, committing their 7th team foul with 5:10 remaining, and couldn't dig themselves out of the hole. But there were bright spots, like their balanced scoring attack. King McClure led the charge with 16 points and nobody scored fewer than 12 points throughout the weekend, making Princeton a potent offensive force. Ty Nash and Henry Caruso were monsters on the boards, racking up a combined 35 rebounds in just three games, with Nash snagging an impressive 13 offensive boards to lead all players in the tournament!

Around the World

October promises to be a jam-packed month in the world of 3x3 basketball. Weekends will be brimming with action, and there are even some midweek events to look forward to. The Split Challenger in Croatia was the sole Pro Circuit event over the weekend. Raudondvaris (LTU) won the Hongcheon Challenger in South Korea on Tuesday, and the Amsterdam Masters, which Princeton is gearing up for, will commence this Friday. Princeton's performance in Split helped them climb up one spot from 18th to 17th in the world rankings.

Amsterdam Masters Preview

Roster

• Damon Huffman - World #46

• Henry Caruso - World #49

• Zahir Carrington - World #113

• King McClure - World #155

This marks the first time this season that this lineup will take the court together, and the anticipation is palpable. Princeton spent the week after Split honing their skills in Amsterdam, preparing for the Masters. Getting some practice reps in the Netherlands was crucial to getting everyone on the same page.

Princeton’s Pool

• Friday, October 6, 8:55 am PT: (10) Princeton vs (2) Antwerp

• Friday, October 6, 10:45 am PT: (10) Princeton vs (7) Ub Beijing

• Watch on FIBA 3x3’s YouTube channel

Princeton hasn't crossed paths with either of these two teams this season, so the matchups will be intriguing.

Upcoming Schedule

• October 6-7: Amsterdam (Netherlands) Masters

• October 14-15: San Juan (Puerto Rico) Challenger

• November 2-4: Neom (Saudi Arabia) Challenger

Congrats Ty Nash

We want to extend our best wishes to Ty Nash as he heads back to 5v5. He's signed a contract with Al-Hala to play this season in Bahrain. Under FIBA’s new rules this year, up to 2 player transfers are allowed per season, which opens the door for Jerome Desrosiers to replace Ty on Princeton's roster. Jerome, a Canadian talent, played his college hoops at Princeton and Hawaii and competed on the Pro Circuit with Zahir Carrington and King McClure for Chicago3×3 last season. He's been a familiar face on the domestic circuit all season, so the transition should be seamless. We're excited to see him back on the Pro Circuit.

That's a wrap for this edition of the FIBA 3x3 newsletter. Stay tuned for more 3x3 action and analysis right here.

Thanks for reading!

- Drive3×3 Team